Aftermath
by Itz Admin Ash
Summary: I love Minecraft Story Mode, so I decided to write the aftermath: what happens after season two ends. Basically, Petra goes missing and Jessie, Radar and Lukas embark on a new adventure ro find their lost friend. Things get pretty interesting, and they find Petra as a changed woman. She isnt who she used to be.
1. Missing

_You can't lose what you never had, you can't keep what isn't yours, and you can't hold on to someone who doesn't want to stay._

_-Unknown_

I remember the good old days when I was a hero who slayed Wither Storms and defeated dangerous Admins, all the while maintaining my status as a best friend to some very important people in my life. I still remind myself every day that I never could've done it without them, and I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for them.

I also remember when I became the leader of the new Order of the Stone and it was such a huge deal to everyone. Suddenly everyone knew my name and wanted to be around me. It's weird, the life of a celebrity. Sure, maybe I earned the title, but it still felt weird and wrong in a way I can't describe. It was almost as if I didn't want the constant attention from everyone. I didn't like being seen as greater than everyone else in town. It made me feel selfish and bratty.

I also remember when all my friends were still with me. Lukas, Radar and Stella are still here, but Olivia and Axel just decided they didn't want to be around me anymore and took off. Where to? I have no idea. But the one person I miss most out of all the forgotten friendships is Petra.

It's been eight months now and she still hasn't come home. A few weeks ago, she stopped sending letters altogether. I couldn't decide if believing she was dead or believing she had forgotten me was worse. I wanted her back. She was my closest friend, and the most loyal out of all of them. I miss her bold, cocky, self-possessed personality, miss her dorky jokes, miss her warm smile... I miss everything about her.

I considered going out and looking for her, but decided against it. I didn't know how she'd react to my showing up if she had forgotten me altogether, and I also was afraid of finding her corpse somewhere in the middle of the woods, torn apart by some wild beast.

Lukas misses her too. He talks about her a lot, and he still does. He was almost as heartbroken as I was when I told him I hadn't gotten any letters from her that he could snatch out of my hands and read like he always did. He was always so eager to see how she was doing and what she was up to, so losing that little scrap of reassurance that she was Alright was devastating to both of us.

Whatever happened to Petra, I hope she found herself like she wanted to.

I guess that's where my story starts. I wasn't really a hero anymore, and I was glad of that. Now I was just Jessie, the girl who had saved everyone from several disasters, lead a short-lived band of heroes, and than quietly resigned to the life of an artist. Turns out I'm really good at drawing, and it was a quiet, uneventful hobby that didn't draw much attention to me or anyone else. I liked that a lot. The last thing I wanted was to land myself in the middle of the sea of fame again.

People frequently bought my artwork, and I received a lot of praise for it, but I wasn't a hero anymore. That was also really nice. I hated titles. I just wanted to be Jessie, nothing else.

I'm proud to announce that Radar is the most regular customer I have. Whenever I start selling a new painting or sketch, he's always the first person to show up at my little shop, buy it (he always gives me an outrageously huge tip and tells me to keep the change), and spreads the word to everyone else in town that I had released something new. He's a goof, but a lovable goof. How does he know when I release a new piece of art? He shows up at my shop daily, every morning, as soon as it opens.

That's where today started. I was casually cleaning up the black marble counters of my shop when I heard a sharp rapping at the door. I realized with a start that I must've forgotten to unlock the door for Radar, and hurried out into the main room where all my artwork hung on the walls to let him in.

"Jeez! Took you long enough!" Radar said, as I opened the door.

"Heh. Sorry. I got a little distracted." I chuckled, holding the door open so he could come in.

He marched inside, pushing his glasses up on his nose as he did. "Do ya have anything new today?" He asked, glancing back at me.

"Nope, but I'm glad you're here." I smiled, following him inside, closing the unlocked door behind me. "It always makes my day a little better when you visit."

"Thanks! Art is like therapy for me, and your place is full of it." Radar stopped bang splat in the middle of the room and took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale the artwork surrounding him. "Ahhhh, I just love the smell of paper and canvas paints..." he sighed, contentedly.

"Odd. I don't smell anything." I shrugged, returning to the counters so I could continue the tedious process of cleaning them off.

"An artist who doesn't know what paper and paint smells like. How peculiar." Radar muttered as he wandered over to a sketch of a sword. He examined it for a moment with a glimmer of admiration in his eyes before moving on to a painting of the Ender Dragon.

I rolled my eyes, amused. Radar did this every single day. He would come in, chat with me for a moment or two, than wander aimlessly around the little shop, making it his personal mission to examine every single piece of art in the whole place, though he had seen all of it perhaps a million times now. It still made my day better.

While he conducted his usual inspection of the art, I went into the little studio I had set up in the back of the shop. It was a small room with a desk and easel on the far wall, and a chest full of art supplies against the left wall. Warm sunlight filtered in through a small window in the right wall, spilling out on the wooden floor in gentle rays. This was where I usually did my drawings and paintings.

I sighed and grabbed a pencil, sitting down at the desk and staring down at the rough sketch I had left there the night before. It was an unfinished sketch of Petra. I had almost forgotten that I had started it, but I decided that I should finish it. I had been missing her a lot more than usual lately.

It was like a splinter in my heart, slowly piercing deeper and deeper, causing more and more pain as it went down. I was almost desperate to know how she was doing. My worry for her was almost unbearable now. What if she forgot about me? What if she had been hurt or killed? _Why hadn't she come back home yet? Did she even care at all? _

I shook those thoughts out of my head and started furiously sketching on the paper in front of me. I'm not sure how long I was in there, almost mindlessly working away at the drawing, but I was jolted out of my workaholic frenzy by a certain Radar tapping me on the shoulder to get my attention.

I jumped out of my skin, startled. "Jeez, Radar, don't ever sneak up on me like that again!" I exclaimed, breathlessly.

His petite face was etched into lines of concern. His dark eyes were puzzled and confused. "You've been thinking about her again, haven't you?" He asked softly, gesturing down at the sketch on the table.

I glanced down at the piece of paper before me. It was almost a perfect likeness of how Petra had looked before she had left. I decided it didn't do her rare, natural beauty justice but I didn't mention that to Radar. Instead, I just said, "Yeah."

"I'm sure she's doing fine, Jessie. I don't think there's anyone in the world out there who can take care of herself better than Petra can." Radar reassured.

"That's not what's bothering me." I twisted in my seat to look him in the eye. "Why hasn't she come back?"

"I dunno..." Radar looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet like he always did when he was thinking hard about something. "Maybe finding herself is taking longer than she thought?" He suggested, but I was already shaking my head.

"No. That's not it. I can't shake the feeling that something's really wrong. It's not like her to just disappear like that." I said.

"She gave us plenty of notice before she left." Radar raised an eyebrow at me.

"That's not what I mean. She stopped sending letters a few weeks ago. She usually sends something once or twice a week." My hand flew up to my neck, where the silver, diamond-studded chain Petra had sent me in an envelope hung. I never took the necklace off, ever. It meant so much to me.

"Oh. Really?" Radar cocked his head at me curiously. "Than you're right. That really isn't like her at all. What're you gonna do about it?"

"That's the thing. I'm not sure I should do anything at all." I sighed, leaning back into my chair.

"WHAT???" The word practically exploded out of him, and I jumped again, startled out of my wits.

"Radar!" I scolded, annoyance rising.

"Who are you and what have you done with Jessie? The Jessie I know would be out there right now, looking for Petra!" Radar planted his tiny fists on his hips, glaring at me fiercely. I had never seen him so upset before.

"Why should I? She would've told me if she wanted me to visit by now, and I don't want to interrupt whatever she's doing. Besides, I don't know how she'll react to my showing up unannounced. I don't want to come across as clingy or anything." I shot back, feeling frustration building inside me.

"No. That's not happening. She's been gone for eight months, and she stopped giving us updates on how she's doing. Going after her and making sure she's okay isn't being clingy, Jessie. It's called being a good best friend." Radar declared.

That instantly silenced the argument I was preparing. He was absolutely right. What kind of friend was I, just sitting around working on art when Petra was out there somewhere, all alone, doing god knows what?

"You're right. I have to find her." I agreed, softening my voice a little.

"Perfect! I knew you'd come around!" Instantly Radar was back to his smiley, bouncy self, and the tension in the room dissolved. "I'll go tell Lukas! He's gonna want to come with us when we go looking for her!" He started skipping off toward the door, but I stopped him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who's we?" I demanded.

"You, me and Lukas, of course! We're gonna look for her together, duh!" Radar exclaimed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He rushedout the door before I could raise any objections.

Here I was, thinking I could go look for Petra alone, but instead I ended up with a small team of friends hungry for adventure and ready to lend a hand. I shuddered. It felt too much like old times, and I didn't like that at all.

**To Be Continued **

_Please do me a huge favor and comment what you think, or shoot me a PM. I'm all for feedback. Love you guys!_

_-Itz Admin Ash_


	2. Perception

_**WARNING: THERE ARE ONE OR TWO MINOR CUSS WORDS IN THIS CHAPTER. IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY SWEARING, THAN VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!!!**_

_There is one pain I often feel which you will never know. It's caused by the absence of you._

_-Ashleigh Brilliant _

"We're going wether you like it or not. Stop arguing." Lukas said, firmly.

I had just spent the past hour or so trying to talk some sense into him. Or at least that's what I thought I was doing. In reality I was just desperately trying to convince him to stay home and keep Radar at home with him too. Did that make me selfish? Maybe it did, but I didn't want to deal with something that reminded me of the way things used to be.

"Lukas, please. I really want to just go by myself. I don't need the extra..." I paused for a moment, stopping just short of saying "stress". "I don't need the extra people to look after." I finished, quickly amending the statement.

"We can look after ourselves, thank you very much." Lukas still looked offended, much to my exasperation.

"Why can't I go adventuring by myself? Why do you always insist on tagging along?" I demanded, trying to turn the tables on him. It didn't work. Arguing with Lukas never worked.

"Because someone's gotta be there to watch your back. I know you, Jessie, and you'll probably do something stupid like get lost or fall into a ditch and break your ankle or something." Lukas was already putting on his silver armor, much to my annoyance.

"Oh, come on, I'm not THAT dumb!" I protested. I thought about it a moment, and added, "I mean, at least I'm not as dumb as I used to be!" It was still a valid argument in my mind.

"You expect me to believe that? Nice try, Jessie, we're going with you. End of discussion." Lukas replied, firmly.

I sighed and went off to grouch about it to Stella. She'd know what to do. That is, if she didn't decide to come with as well. That would be a major pain. I grimaced and instead talked to her about the weather and how things were going in Beacontown, intentionally avoiding talking about the little quest I was going on. I really didn't need another person calling me stupid and joining my group.

"Is something wrong? You seem awful distracted this morning." Stella remarked, after I finished my vague rant about crime in the city.

"I'm fine." I lied, through gritted teeth.

"Sure. Wanna tell me what's going on, or are you just gonna keep sitting there sulking about it while trying to cover it up with idle chatter?" Stella tilted her head at me with an amused smile.

She was too observant and perceptive for my liking. Perhaps going to her at all wasn't such a great idea. I mentally kicked myself for being so stupid.

"No I don't. I actually should go home now. Thanks for the chat." I stood up from the wooden chair I had occupied directly across from her and rushed out the door before she had time to ask me more questions.

I had a lot to think about, and I needed to stop trying to push everyone else away.

I trudged down the newly paved sandstone street, passing several colored concrete buildings, continuously asking myself the same question over and over again. _Why was I so hellbent on finding Petra by myself? _

Perhaps I was just being selfish, or maybe I was genuinely concerned for the safety of Lukas and Radar. No, neither of those were it. I knew something else was going on, but I couldn't place my finger on it. Was it concern for Petra? No, because the others being with me wouldn't put her in any sort of danger (quite the opposite, in fact). I kept pondering these things until it hit me like getting slapped in the face with some cold, hard salami.

I was afraid that history would repeat itself.

I didn't want to be trapped in a celebrity's world again. I didn't want to be a famous hero who everyone worshipped and looked up to and wanted to be just like. I also didn't want to put my friends in the same situation. I'm pretty sure Lukas hated stardom as much as I did. Petra didn't mind; she had been one of the "cool kids" from the start so she was already kinda used to the constant attention from other people. Whether she liked it or not, I couldn't tell. Olivia and Axel left because they wanted to escape their own legacies.

I just knew that as soon as I left Beacontown, word of my newest quest would be all over the place. Everyone would be talking about how ex-hero Jessie is off questing again. And when I returned, I very well could return to the position of town hero. I was afraid because I didn't want to be trapped there ever again.

If Lukas and Radar stayed put, the rumors wouldn't spread quite so quickly, and everyone would think I was off on vacation. But since all three of us were leaving at the same time, everyone would catch on.

Why did my life have to be a big circle? No matter how far I think I've gone, I always end up right back where I started. I always find myself back where I don't want to be. I hated that. Why couldn't I move on? Why couldn't I just be Jessie?

"Jessie?" A familiar voice called out.

I glanced up and saw Stacyplays walking toward me, one hand on her hip, a friendly smile on her face. Her long brown braid bounced on her shoulder as she walked.

"Hey, Stacy!" I greeted, beyond happy to see her.

"Fancy meeting you here." Stacy walked right up to me and stopped, grinning from ear to ear. "I was just out for a walk. What're you doing?"

"Running away from Stella." I admit, a ghost of a smile touching my lips.

"I should've known. Did she talk your ears off again? Or did you talk hers off and get lectured for it?" Stacy questioned, obviously amused.

"Uhhh... a little of both. She's too observant and she's already on my case for something she isn't supposed to know about, even though I haven't even remotely hinted that something was going on." I replied, grimacing. Stella's relentless perceptiveness was really starting to bug me.

"Pfffft. That's hilarious." Stacy chuckled, before growing serious. "And what exactly _is _going on, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I'll tell you if you swear you won't breathe a word of it to anyone else." I glared at her fiercely. Keeping my little quest secret for as long as possible was of utmost importance to me.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Stacy made the traditional warding-off-evil gesture, much to my amusement.

"Alright. I trust you." I decided, finally allowing a smile to break out across my face. Finally, someone I could talk to who would actually listen and help me without trying to jump in head over heels! "Lukas, Radar and I are heading off to find Petra. We haven't heard from her for a few weeks now, which isn't like her, so we decided to look for her, just in case she needs our help." I explained.

"Ah. I figured you'd be after her sooner or later. You two were inseparable when she was still around. I'm actually surprised that you didn't go sooner." Stacy nodded her head in understanding. "And I'm proud of you for that. I know how much keeping your life as quiet and uneventful as possible means to you, Jessie."

"Finally someone gets it. But that's exactly why I'm upset that Lukas and Radar literally forced me to take them with me." I got upset just thinking about it. Jeez, I was prickly.

"Hah!" She laughed for a moment, much to my annoyance. How could anyone find my predicament funny???

"I don't see anything funny about this." I grumbled, knowing she heard me.

"Neither do I, but that's honestly so like Lukas and Radar. I can totally picture them bathing into everything exciting that goes on around here the moment they catch word of it." Stacy grinned, still amused by the whole ordeal. "But yeah, I can understand how that upsets you. History has a bad habit of repeating itself."

"That's literally why I'm so upset right now!" I exclaimed, allowing my exasperation to get the better of me. "I'd rather go by myself and bring Petra home quickly and quietly. Nobody would be the wiser, and nobody would suspect anything. I could come home and maintain my status as a quiet little artist."

"Okay, I know you're pretty mad right now, but hear me out. Lukas has a really close relationship with Petra. From what I've heard, they've known each other since middle school. That's a long time, especially for two youngsters." Stacy began, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "He doesn't want to get left behind because he wants to find her as badly as you do, if not even more so. She means so much to him. I'm sure she misses him more than anything. Think about what this means for him, going out and getting to find her."

I sighed. She was right, more right than most people are. But I just didn't want to admit it.

"And what about Radar?" I questioned.

"Radar wants to go because... well, he's Radar. He wants to do something exciting. He's what, eight years old?" Stacy teased.

I laughed at that. She knew as well as I did that Radar was pretty much a little kid in an 18-year-old's body.

"Yeah, you're right, as usual. You remind me of her sometimes, you know that?" I remarked, looking Stacy in the eye. I didn't need to clarify the fact that I was referring to Petra.

"That's a compliment, and a rather huge one. Who wouldn't want to be like Petra?" Stacy smiled in return.

"If I were more like Petra, things would've been so much different. Maybe I'd still be important and I'd probably enjoy it." I looked down at the smoothly paved ground, studying my brown leather boots with faux interest.

"That's actually not true. I've spent enough time around her to know that she may ACT like a people-person, but she's actually just an introvert who acts like an extrovert." Stacy tilted her head to one side, studying me with an odd glint in her eyes. "She's pretty chill about everything and she's able to get along with most people, but the fact that she's as impossible to read as a dog's handwriting and that she tries her hardest to NOT draw attention to herself says a lot about her."

"You're right again. Dammit, how are you always right about these things? It's starting to drive me crazy!" I laughed, looking up at her with newfound respect.

"I'm just good at people-watching. It's a bad habit of mine. I like to study people and figure out where they fall on the social scale." She shrugged casually, but my smile wavered. Had she been observing me all this time? If so, what did she think of me?

Wow. Was I really this insecure about everything? It was frightening, how much I had changed over the past few months. I could confidently say that I had changed, but I didn't know whether it was for better or for the worse.

"Well, I have to go pack. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow." I clapped a hand on Stacy's shoulder in farewell and she nodded in understanding.

"Alright. I'll see you later, than. I hope you find Petra, and I hope you'll be able to convince her to come home." Stacy replied, cheerfully. She pivoted sharply and strode off, hurrying over to Stampycat, who was standing off at a distance, waving her over. He was always at her heels, I thought.

I chuckled as I heard Stacy yell at him for being so clingy before I turned and started walking back home. Tomorrow, I would go and find Petra. The very thought of it seemed almost too good to be true. I missed her so much, and it would be good to have her back.

**_To Be Continued..._**

_**QUICK NOTE: **I'm sorry, there wasn't much action in this chapter but I'm gonna post Chapter Three tomorrow evening and it'll hopefully be a bit more interesting, seeing as I'm planning for there to be a lot more action. I hope you guys are enjoying this book so far, I plan on continuing it for as long as possible. Comment what you think or shoot me a PM sometime! I'd love to hear from you!_

_-Itz Admin Ash_


	3. Caves

_**NOTE: trust me, this chapter is really interesting, especially towards the end, so try and stick around until the very end. I'm sorry if the previous chapters have been boring :( **_

_"I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth. Than I ask myself the same question."_

_-Harun Yahya_

"Alright, girl, it's time for another adventure." I said, patting my white mare, Snowball, on her soft muzzle. She nickered softly and nosed my palm, searching for a treat. "I brought you something." I smiled, holding out an apple to her. She crunched it up in a single bite.

I listened to the soft sounds of Snowball's chewing for a moment before going off into the tack room to get my tack set out. I wasn't going to ride through the woods bareback.

I ran into Lukas as I gathered up the heavy leather saddle, the bit and the reigns I used. He had been coming in for the same reason: to saddle up his horse named Pretzel.

"Oh. Hey, Jessie." He greeted as he marched over to his saddle, which hung on a wooden knob on the wall.

"Hey, Lukas. You ready for another adventure?" I asked, trying to put some enthusiasm into my voice. I still sounded dead inside, much to my annoyance.

"Yeah. It still irks me that you didn't want me to come along, though. Is something bothering you? A few months ago, you refused to go anywhere out of town unless one or two of us were with you. Now you're just... cold." Lukas dumped the saddle on the floor and glanced at me, blue eyes sparkling.

"Look, I just wanted to go by myself so the rest of the town would stay quiet about it. I didn't wanna draw attention to myself." I said, as bluntly as possible, trying to imply that I didn't want to talk about it.

"Mm." Lukas replied, non-commitally.

I could tell he was dying to ask me more questions about it, but he refrained from doing so, much to my relief.

"Now it's your turn to tell me what's bothering you. I can tell when you're upset, Lukas." I gave him "the look", like I always did when I wanted him to spill the beans.

"Alrighty, then. If you insist." He took a deep breath, as if to calm his nerves, before saying, "I guess it kinda hurt that you didn't want me with you this time. You probably already know this but Petch and I have been friends for practically all our lives." He used his nickname for Petra that he used to call her all the time back in high school. "The fact that you tried to stop me from seeing her again and making sure she's alright... I mean, I was more than just a little upset. I've missed her ever since the moment she left. Why do you think I'm always so eager to read the letters she used to send? I'm always so excited that I pluck them right out of your hands and find a quiet corner to read them in."

He was right. I almost laughed as I recalled how indignant I was every single time he snatched a letter right out of my hands and ran off with it so he could read it by himself. I used to get so annoyed over such a silly little thing; I hadn't even considered how important it was to him.

"I'm sorry. I swear I didn't mean to make you feel that way. Like I said, I was just trying to avoid... going back to the way I was. I hate being in the spotlight. It was fun and cool for a little while, but now I realize I'd rather keep to myself, where I can't hurt anyone or mess anything up." I admitted, a little sheepishly, knowing this was no excuse.

"So that's why you did it..." Lukas stared off into space for a moment, lost in thought, before he shook his head to clear it and picked up all his assembled horse tack. "Alright, then. I'll see you out in the stables." He said, briefly, as he walked back out into the stable, tack in hand.

I sighed and finished gathering up my own set of tack before joining him with our horses. We didn't say anything to each other as we saddled the horses up, but than again, there wasn't really anything to say.

Radar showed up way later than he was supposed to, and he had no idea what to do with his horse, so I had to spend half an hour at least just helping him saddle up and get on his horse.

Once all that was done, we were finally on the road. We left as discretely as we could, walking our horses down the least busy road we could find, but a few people still noticed our presence and watched us curiously. I could already sense the rumors that were sure to spread after we left.

We followed the empty road to the trail that led out of town. I looked back wistfully as we left Beacon Town far behind. I already missed my quiet, peaceful life as an artist.

"We'll be back before you know it, Jess! Don't worry about it!" Radar called out, cheerfully.

I forced myself to smile. "You're right. I'm ready for some fun, anyways. Adventuring is... one of many fun things I do in my free time."

"Says the girl who's been hiding in her little art studio for the past eight months..." Lukas muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. I glared at him for a moment, long enough that he acknowledged the warning I was conveying and shut his mouth.

"She's not THAT much of a hermit, Lukas." Radar remarked, much to my relief.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed.

Beacon Town was built bang splat in the middle of a large meadow, but it had since expanded, so the forest was only a mile or so away, down an old dirt trail that used to be well-traveled but was no longer. People started using the better roads that led to other cities in the area, and all the old trails were forgotten. But Petra still loved the forest and the freedom that came with it, so I knew that the forest was the first place she had gone.

"I'm sure she stopped in the forest at some point, she loved these woods. But it's been so long that she very well could've moved on long ago. We might never find her." Lukas remarked, a hint of doubt and worry in his voice.

"We have to at least try. Finding yourself can't involve wandering thousands of miles from home." Radar said, his enthusiasm still as high as ever.

"Well, Petra always had a tendency to wander. She never stayed in one place for long." Lukas looked down at his saddle pommel, oblivious to the beautiful field of sunflowers surrounding the part of the trail we were currently crossing through.

"Oh, come on, Lukas, cheer up. She never strayed THAT far from home, even when she had the opportunity to do so." I said, almost scoldingly. "Don't lose hope so quickly. We've only been out here for half an hour and you're already so deflated."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Lukas replied, plainly.

Nobody said anything else after that. Lukas's depressing little speech back there had planted a seed of doubt in our minds, and none of us were really in the mood to talk anymore.

_What if Petra had wandered so far away that we'd never find her again?_

"You said she liked to live in caves, right, Jessie?" Radar suddenly asked me, after ten minutes of silence. He had obviously been thinking about some things.

I sensed the beginnings of a good plan and twisted in the saddle to look at him. "Yep, she would always find little caves that weren't infested with cave spiders to live for a bit. It was one of her odd quirks that I never really understood. Why?"

"So all we have to do is find all the inhabitable little caves in the woods and search them. They'd be marked on your map, Lukas, because I remember how you found every single cave within a hundred miles of here to put on that detailed map you made awhile back." Radar explained, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses that were a size too big for his petite face.

"I never thought I'd say this, but Radar, you're a genius." Lukas said, a huge grin breaking out across his face.

"That was brilliant!" I exclaimed, joyfully.

Perhaps there was hope for our little quest after all. That is, if Petra hadn't somehow gotten more than a hundred miles from Beacon Town while she was gone...

I shook my head and told myself to stop thinking like that. We'd find her, I promised myself. We just had to. The world I lived in was broken without Petra. It was time to fix my world. Time to make everything as it should be.

It was only another few minutes of riding before the forest suddenly loomed overhead, growing closer and closer with every clop of the horses' hooves. It was a tall, dark, creepy place, with dark oak wood trees and deep emerald leaves forming a giant canopy over the whole place, casting an eery shadow over the forest floor that blotted out all the sunlight. The trees had grown so close together that absolutely no light got through. That's why it was called the Midnight Forest. It was a wonder how Petra liked the dreary place so much. Perhaps because it was so quiet and untouched by human nature that she was naturally drawn to the solitude.

_She's an introvert who acts like an extrovert, _Stacy's words echoed in my mind as we rode closer to the forest.

"Yeesh. Who would enjoy living in such a depressing forest?" Radar shuddered, as if the very thought mortified him.

"Petra would. She always loved places like this." Lukas replied, craning his neck to look up at the trees, which towered above us like massive sentinels, pointing their sharp, finger-like branches at us accusingly.

I found myself agreeing with Radar. It was so hard to believe that Petra actually liked places like this. I wasn't sure if I wanted to believe she was drawn to the solitude or the freedom or both. After all, she was extremely independent and liked to go her own way in everything she did.

"The first cave is just inside the forest. We should get there in five minutes." Lukas suddenly said. I glanced over at him and realized he had pulled a large detailed map out of his saddlebag and was reading it as he rode, guiding his horse with his knees.

"Is that the map you made?" I asked.

"Yep." He replied, engrossed in his map.

The first cave we visited was small and quiet, but I recognized it almost immediately upon going inside. This was the old cave Petra had led me to after saving me and Rueben from that zombie hoard after we won the Endercon building competition years ago. The now-rotting old crafting table up against one of the cave walls was familiar, as well as the long-destroyed bridge on the other end of the cave, where she and I had jumped into the river far below to escape some creepers, which had inevitably exploded in our faces and blown up a good portion of the bridge. It had never been repaired, based off the huge hole in the middle that strongly resembled a bite mark (Radar found this hilarious for some reason and couldn't stop laughing).

As I had expected, we found no tall, red-headed warriors with flashing swords in that cave, but just visiting there brought back so many pleasant memories. It felt nice to be back in a place that reminded me of what used to be in a good way.

We had no better luck in the next cave we visited. It was infested with spiders, so we didn't even try to go in, knowing that nobody would be there. The next cave was deserted, though there were some old, charred sticks on the ground from a fire, implying that someone had been there at some point for who knows how long before moving on. The next three caves we went to had collapsed in on themselves and were now too small for even Radar to enter, so we skipped checking those (we couldn't have checked them even if we wanted to anyways).

Next thing I knew, it was sunset and we were miles away from Beacon Town, and we still hadn't found what we were looking for. We had examined at least fifteen different caves, not including the ones that we couldn't get into. I was exhausted and discouraged, despite the fact that it was only the first day and it was unrealistic that we'd find what we were looking for so quickly.

We took shelter in a tall tree for the night to avoid the dangerous mobs that would surely be roaming the woods tonight, but I couldn't sleep. Whenever I closed my eyes, my mind would wander to Petra. Where could she be? Why hadn't she come back or written to us? And why hadn't we found her?

Sunrise came after a long, excruciatingly tedious, sleepless night. I was so tired I thought I'd fall over, but we had to keep going.

Unfortunately, we spent all day searching more caves and getting further from home with absolutely no success whatsoever. I feared we'd reach the back end of the forest before we found our missing friend. Based on the concerned lines etched into Lukas and Radar's faces, they were thinking the same thing. What if this whole quest was hopeless? Should we have just stayed at home?

We spent the night in a sloppy little hut we had built last minute, seeing as Radar wasn't fond of the idea of sleeping in a tree again (he was terrified of heights). This time, I succumbed to exhaustion and slept all night long, but I didn't feel any less doubtful than I had been the night before.

"Maybe we should turn back," said Lukas, as we led the horses down an old game trail that hadn't been traveled in years and was nearly overgrown with tree roots and bushes.

"We can't give up yet!" Radar complained, pitifully. "She's still out there somewhere! I know she is!"

"He's right. We can't stop now, not after we've come so far. We're getting closer, I just know we are." I agreed, trying to sound more confident than I was. "Each time we've found a cave with signs that someone's lived there before, the signs have been more and more fresh. I think we're gonna find her soon. She's the only one who could be living in all those caves." I added.

Lukas didn't reply, but I could sense that some of his doubt had melted away.

The third day passed with no success. This time, we decided to take inspiration from Petra and stay in a cave for the night. We found a small one that wasn't marked on Lukas's map for some reason, tethered our horses outside, and quietly crept in, one by one. We wanted to see how far back the cave went before deciding to stay there. We also wanted to know if it was infested with mobs (particularly cave spiders).

The cave had a high ceiling and was about nine feet wide, leaving plenty of room for us to walk side by side. It didn't twist and turn like most caves did, it was mostly a straight tunnel of rock. We encountered a lit torch only a moment later, which cast a flickering yellow light across the cavern, sending dancing shadows across the walls and ceiling.

"Whoa. That... That's a fresh torch." Lukas said, breathlessly. "Someone definitely lives here."

"Look at that!" Radar pointed at a table with two wooden chairs sitting against a wall, with another lit torch hanging over it.

We had reached the back of the cave, and by that time we had encountered two beds and things like crafting tables, an anvil, and a chest full of provisions like food and water. There were also a bunch of weapons in one corner of the cave, like a few iron swords, a quiver full of arrows, an unstrung bow, a couple razor-sharp throwing knives, and a long, curved dagger. It was obvious someone was currently living here, given how fresh the food in the chest was and all the items left behind.

"Wow. I would say that I think Petra lives here, but everything we've seen so far implies that two people inhabit this cave. I don't think we're in the right spot." Lukas remarked, his voice echoing off the gray stone walls.

"I don't like this. We should g-get out of here before whoever owns this place c-comes back. I don't think they'll b-be very happy to find trespassers in their cave." Radar said, his nervous stammer really showing.

Just than, I picked up on a really dark vibe. It was way too quiet all of a sudden. Silence fell over the room like a dark blanket that smothered everything in the cave.

"It's too quiet." I decided. "Radar's right. We should go. I don't think this is what we're looking for."

"Okay," Lukas ran his hand over the bow in the corner. "but I've only ever seen a weapon made so skillfully once before. It was the one that Petra made for me awhile back. This is really creepy."

Just than, I became aware of a presence behind me.

Radar screamed, "Jessie, behind you!!!", but it was too late.

Suddenly someone grabbed me roughly and threw me against the wall, pinning me there. I let out a startled, "Oof!" as my back hit the wall so hard that it drove the breath out of my lungs instantly, leaving me gasping for breath.

A tall, sleek figure stood before me. Based off the obvious curves, I knew it was a female. She wore a black cloak and hood that completely shadowed over her face so I couldn't make out any defining features, but I quickly memorized her build. She was a few inches taller than me and deceptively strong. She had long legs and a trim figure. It was obvious she was athletic.

"Who are you and what the hell do you think you're doing in my ca- whoa. Jessie?" The strange girl suddenly stopped mid-sentence and slowly backed away, releasing me from the wall. Something about her voice was strangely familiar.

Of course, Lukas reacted a second too late.

"Jessie! Are you alright? You stay away from her!" Lukas shouted, tackling the black-clad girl.

"Kyaaa!" She cried out, as she hit the ground hard with Lukas on top of her, straddling her waist, his fist raised to punch her in case she tried to fight back.

The impact jarred her so hard that the hood she was wearing flew off, revealing long hair as orange as a raging wildfire and familiar, blazing gray eyes. Her sharply defined features and rare natural beauty were all too familiar.

"Petra?"

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. I certainly had fun writing it. AND OH MY GOD THEY FINALLY FOUND PETRA. I'm heaving a huge sigh of relief. Writing the previous chapters without Petra in them was both difficult and depressing, seeing as she's easily my favorite character in both seasons. I tried to end this on a cliffhanger but eh, they found her so it wasn't really that suspenseful. The next chapter comes out tomorrow evening, make sure you stick around! Shoot me a PM or drop a comment, I'd love to hear from you!!!_

_-Itz Admin Ash_


	4. Him

**AGGGH SORRY FOR THE DELAY. I had to delete the app briefly due to storage issues, but I'm back with another update and will hopefully continue doing regular updates from now on.**

**_**

_"And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul."_

_-Unknown_

At first I couldn't believe my eyes. This couldn't be Petra. After all these months of never seeing her, of wondering where she was but daring not go looking, my brain couldn't process that she was right in front of me.

Lukas realized who he had just tackled and quickly scrambled off of her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to her feet. "P-Petra? How is this possible?" he stammered out, just as shocked and in as much disbelief as I was.

"I would've asked you the same question, but that was before you decided to act all tough and pin me on the floor of my own cave." Petra offered him a teasing grin.

Despite how much older and more mature she looked, I could instantly tell that this was the same Petra I had lost all those months ago. I was unable to stop the huge grin from spreading across my face and ran over to her, throwing my arms around her shoulders and embracing her tightly, feeling years of unspoken loneliness seeping out of me.

"I can't believe it's really you... You have no idea how much I've missed you." I said, my voice sounding small and breathless.

"I know, I know. I've missed you too, Jessie. Almost thought you'd never come after me." she put her strong arms around me in return, grinning from ear to ear in her familair, cocky way.

"Well, that didn't take as long as I thought it would!" Radar announced, cheerfully. Petra shot him a shocked look, having noticed him for the first time. "It only took tree days, which is very impressive, don't you guys think??"

"You brought Radar with you? Seriously?" Petra laughed. "I can't decide if I should feel touched or concerned. Who thought bringing sweet, goofy little Radar into the woods?" She rumpled his messy black hair lovingly. "It's good to see you too, kid. Don't think for a second that I've forgotten about you."

Lukas was standing off to one side with a little smile tugging at the corners of his lips, waiting patiently for his turn. Petra finished listening to Radar vaguely rant about something nerdy before turning to Lukas, her smile melting to a soft, tender expression of both relief and elation at the sight of her oldest and closest friend.

"Oh , Lukas..." she approached him with two long, graceful strides before throwing her arms around hi and burying her face in his shoulder. "I think out of all you guys, I've missed you the most."

"B-But... How? How have you managed to stay out here all alone for so long?" he asked, his voice soft and awestruck.

"I haven't been alone, Lukas. You won't believe who I found roaming around out here. He should be along any minute now. We were out hunting and we split up to follow the two old game trails running through the trees." Petra explained, slowly pulling away from his embrace and clasping her hands together neatly.

"Wait. He? Who the heck is 'he'?" I demanded to know, frowning slightly.

In all the letters I had gotten over the past months, Petra had never mentioned a "he". She only talked about how life in the wild was going. But I was sure she would've mentioned finding someone wandering around the woods like a very suspicious, creepy person.

"Don't panic. He isn't weird or creepy at all." Petra reassured, having read my mind. "I would've left him to starve if I had thought he was weird in away way."

"I trust you! He's probably the nicest guy ever!" Radar agreed loyally.

Petra threw him a grateful look before smiling at me and Lukas warmly and saying, "This is a pleasant surprise. I am very glad to see all of you. The little visit is much appreciated. I don't think you guys wanna travel home tonight, it'll be sundown soon. So why don't you come with me and I'll show you where you can stay?" she suggested, sweetly.

"Sounds great, thank you, Petra." Lukas agreed.

Petra turned on her heels, pivoting sharply with the speed and balance of a experienced fighter, and walked over to an especially dark corner of the cave. One wall that I had initially thought as darker than the others turned out to actually be an opening to another neat, well-organized section of the cave. It looked like a cartography room much like the little studio in my art shop in Beacontown. There was a large deal propped up against the far wall with what looked like maps and half-finished documents scattered across the smooth wood surface in a sort of messy pile. There was a huge mound of pillows and blankets in the back left corner of the room (which made me laugh because Petra always loved to bury herself under tons of blankets and pillows back at home too) and a large bookcase with old, worn books piled onto its shelves in the right corner.

"Sorry for the mess, we don't usually have visitors, but you guys can make yourselves at home." Petra absentmindedly started gathering up the mess of papers and maps on the desk, stacking them into a neat pile.

"It's no problem. This is actually a really nice little room. It reminds me of all the libraries Ivor would make us visit years ago. Seems his old habits really rubbed off on you, eh?" Lukas asked her, teasingly.

She grinned in return. "I guess so."

Just than, we heard soft footsteps echoing around somewhere near the entrance of the cave. Petra glanced at the exit, and I thought I saw a flicker of doubt in her story gray eyes.

"Is that the mysterious him?" I questioned, unable to stop the accusing tone from slipping into my voice.

"I believe so. You guys stay here for a moment, I'll be right back..." Petra trailed off and made a beeline for the door, her black cloak rustling softly as she marched away with a grim expression.

I glanced at Lukas, and he frowned, immediately realizing what I was thinking. "No, Jessie. She asked us to stay put, and that's what we're going to do. Remember, even though she's our friend, we still have to respect her." he warned, scoldingly.

"I'm not gonna leave." I rolled my eyes, casually sidling a little closer to the entrance just enough so I could hear the soft voices talking in hushed tones outside.

I immediately recognized Petra's voice speaking in urgent whispers to somebody else. Her voice was so quiet that I only caught bits and pieces of what she was saying, but here's what I could make out: "Don't know how they'll react to... Maybe we shouldn't tell them right away that we're... I don't know... She might still hate you... Yeah, I know..."

Than I heard a vaguely familiar male voice reply, "Oh, okay. I understand. I doubt that they even thought they'd ever see me again, so I get it." What could they possibly be talking about?

I got my answer when Petra came back in with an innocent smile with none other than Aiden himself at her heels.

**Okay, I'm really sorry I haven't been updating as often as I promised I would. But I promise to commit to it this time, because I love writing this story, even if nobody reads it . Hope you guys don't hold it against me, love y'all!!!**

**-Itz Admin Ash**


	5. Secrets

**_Beware of brief, mild language._**

_Somebody asked me if I knew you. A million memories flashed through my Mind, I just smiled and said "I used to."_

_-Unknown_

I wasn't sure what I should be feeling. Here stood the one man who had caused so much pain and trouble for me and my friends three or four years ago, in Sky City. Not to mention the fact that even before that, he had been my number one tormentor, constantly bullying me, Axel and Olivia, always making us feel bad about ourselves, destroying our confidence and self-esteem.

Seeing him standing there behind Petra with a sheepish, apologetic smile on his unwelcomingly familiar face first sent me straight into shock because I couldn't believe my eyes, much like when I saw Petra for the first time only moments ago. Than I felt a white hot bolt of anger and hatred shoot through me like lightning, cutting right through my consciousness and clouding my mind with dark, unforgiving, vengeful thunderheads.

"Aiden???" Lukas's mouth dropped open so far that he actually looked comical. Under different circumstances I would've laughed.

"What is HE doing here, Petra?" I demanded, whirling to face my friend.

Petra shrugged, a troubled grimace crossing her face. "You don't know him like I do now, Jessie. He's changed, and for the better, otherwise Isa and Milo never would've let him go." She replied evenly, inclining her chin slightly as she stared me down.

"You should've told me." I seethed, feeling my anger rising to a dangerous level.

She didn't respond, much to my annoyance. She just gave me a cold sort of look that told me she was pretty upset with my not-so-pleasant response to her new friend. Something told me that she had stopped writing letters to me after she had come across Aiden in the woods. Perhaps she felt like she couldn't tell me. She knew I wouldn't react very well to her new friend.

"Uhhh... Hi, everybody?" Aiden tried. His voice was much more mature than I remembered. The nasally, snarky tone to it was gone, replaced by a much more gentle, pleasant sound. It was infuriating that he sounded like a changed man.

"I never thought I'd see you again, but I'm kinda glad I did. It's good to see you." Lukas took a couple cautious steps forward and shook Aiden's hand, much to my undying annoyance. It seemed everyone else was all too ready to just forgive this monster of a man.

"Nice to see you too, Lukas. You are a lot taller than I remember." Aiden replied, with an easygoing grin.

He still had the same perfect brown hair and amazing hazel eyes that always seemed to have a teasing glimmer to them. He was also still pretty thin in build, although I could guess that beneath his black leather jacket were corded muscles toned from years of exercise. He still had a light dusting of freckles on his cheeks, but there was a new pale scar running up his neck to his jaw that wasn't there the last time I saw him.

Well, everyone except for Radar, whom was just standing around with a dazed and confused expression on his goofy, petite face. He was obviously unsure what to think of this newcomer, and I could tell that the fury blazing in my eyes was distressing him greatly, so I tried to force myself to relax a little bit, realizing for the first time that my hands had curled into fists and quickly uncurling them from the somewhat threatening gesture, hoping Petra hadn't noticed.

Before I had time to ask any more furious questions, there came a soft "Whoof," and in trotted a little gray and brownish-red mottled wolf cub with innocent brown eyes and a long, shaggy tail that swept from side to side in a slow, friendly manner as he trotted in and made a beeline for the newcomers.

"Jeez, Petra, how many new friends did you make?" Radar asked, jumping away from the petite cub nervously.

Petra laughed and crouched down to lovingly fondle the cub's ears. It stopped and sat down, tongue lolling out of its mouth in a big, friendly doggy grin. The little puppy was obviously in heaven as she stroked its soft, fluffy head. "This is Chief. I found him a month ago with a broken leg. He was just lying there in the woods, wounded and left to die by his own mother. I took him home and nursed him back to health, and now you can't even tell something was wrong with him before!" she announced, cheerfully.

Aiden grinned and rumpled Chief's head. His hand briefly brushed against Petra's for a moment as if he were going to clasp it, but he suddenly jerked away, as if he had made a mistake. Petra didn't seem to mind, or even notice at all, but I sure did and I didn't like it. What was that about? Why did he try to take her hand, than pull away so quickly without warning?

Radar was slowly overcoming his initial fear now that he had seen other people petting the petite dog. He wrung his hands anxiously, olive skin on olive skin, as he slowly and cautiously approached Petra and Aiden, his widened dark eyes never straying from Chief.

"I-Is he a nice dog?" he asked, softly.

"Of course!" Petra replied, standing up straight and glancing down at Chief, whip had cocked his head at me curiously with his ears raised and his adorable eyes glimmering mischevously.

"Hello, little friend." I smiled and got down on one knee, holding out one hand and allowing the cub to creep forward and sniff it with his big black nose. "I always knew you had a thing for puppies, so I'm glad to see you finally have one of your own!" I added, looking up at Petra and rubbing Chief's unbelievably soft head and ears.

"Yeah, me too. I'm really happy I found him." The redhead beamed, and I couldn't help but notice how she was standing almost awkwardly close to Aiden, whom was right behind her, still grinning cheerfully. For whatever reason, the friendly, happy grin made me want to slap him across his deviously charming and handsome face.

"You should've told us about all your little friends! We would've visited so much sooner if only to meet this little celebrity over here." Lukas joked, reaching down to pet Chief.

"I know, and I'm sorry. Must've slipped my mind, what with everything that was going on and all..." Petra replied, apologetically. It was seemingly casual enough, but her eyes darted to meet Aiden's for the brief eat moment before flicking back to stare right at me. What were they hiding from us?

Just than I noticed the look that had passed between them. It was strange, adoring, tender. I had only seen a look like that pass between Ivor and Harper when they started dating for the first time years ago. But seeing Petra give it to Aiden and him return it made my blood run cold with not just fury, but fear. I didn't want to know what that look could've possibly meant.

Our sweet, perfect, no-nonsense Petra whom I knew so well couldn't possibly be gullible enough to fall in love with a jerk, a bully and a manipulative tyrant like Aiden.

Or maybe... I didn't know her as well as I used to.

"Huh. Is this what I think it is?" Lukas asked, tugging lightly on the familiar turquoise and mint green striped bandana tied around Chief's neck like a colorful collar. It was smooth linen, but the colors were slightly faded from age.

My eyes widened as I realized Petra's bandana was missing from her head, leaving her violently orange hair-which was perfectly straight- to tumble freely down her shoulders like a waterfall made entirely of fire. It also hit me right than and there that her hair was so much longer than I had remembered it. She had always kept it cropped to chest length at the very longest, but now it streamed down like a shining orange abyss to her waist. She had always been one to turn heads, but now she was beyond beautiful. Her long bangs were tied back in two little braids that circled the sides of her head like a low lying braided halo before converging at the back of her head, turning into one thin little braid running down to the small of her back.

"Yep, that used to be mine. But I needed something to mark Chief as mine in case he got lost or ran away. It looks really good on him. Besides, I've worn that thing for years. Figured it was time for a change in style." Petra grinned and flipped her hair over her shoulder with one pale hand.

I couldn't help but smile in return, Petra just had that affect on people.

"It does look good on him. You've got a good taste." Lukas replied, warmly.

Radar had finally overcome his initial fear enough to creep forward and tentatively stroke Chief's fluffy fur on his shaggy back. The miniature wolf gave Radar the most adorable puppy-eyed grin I had ever seen, panting with his big pink tongue lolling out. Radar laughed quietly, continuing to pet the cub with more enthusiasm.

"See? He isn't scary. He's just a precious little fuzzball." Aiden remarked, cheerfully. I gave him a death look, much to his dismay.

"Hey. Be nice to him." Petra quite suddenly elbowed me in the gut. "He may have made some pretty big mistakes in the past but he's come so far from who he used to be. Unlike you, I don't judge people by their past. I judge them by who they are in the moment. Perhaps you should learn to do the same."

"I'm sorry, Petra." I apologized, faking sincerity even though I knew that I'd continue giving Aiden grief whenever it was possible, I just had to do it while she wasn't looking.

"Maybe we can be friends and put all else behind us?" Aiden squeaked out, hopefully.

"Hmph." I turned up my chin at him and received another elbow to the gut from my redheaded friend, but this time it was so hard and aggressive that it actually drove the wind out of my lungs and left me struggling to catch my breath.

Radar gave me a concerned glance as I suddenly started gasping for breath, bending over and putting my hands on my knees to recover. It seemed nobody had seen Petra's lightning-fast elbows of death flinging straight into my stomach.

Except Aiden, of all people.

His lips twitched upward in something of a grimly amused smile, adding insult to injury, quite literally. I wanted to bitch-slap that grin right off his unbearable face. But I couldn't do it, what with Petra and her lethal elbows of death so close at hand and ready for use...

Lukas tilted his head at me with an odd look that I knew meant "we need to talk".

I took the hint and pretended to yawn dramatically. "I'm really tired, it's getting late. We should really get some sleep." I remarked.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted!" Radar piped up, somehow recognizing the hidden message.

"Me too." Lucas agreed.

"We should let them rest, they've had a long day. We'll be out in the main part of the cave if you guys need anything." Petra smiled at all of us in turn before leading Aiden out of the room.

As soon as they were gone my first order of business was to start taking pillows and blankets off the huge pile and start arranging them into a little nest on the other side of the room for me to sleep on. Once I was satisfied that it was warm and cozy beyond belief I sat down on it, immediately sinking into the mound of fabrics and cotton.

"We have to do something about Aiden." I said, bluntly.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk about and... You're right this time. Petra may trust him now but I sure as hell don't. And I also don't want him around her. What if he's just putting up an act?" Lukas's face became dark and unforgiving, much to my surprise. "What if he's just pretending to be friendly only to snap later and do something terrible? I don't want him to hurt her, not after we've just gotten her back." he finished, but the dark shadow over his face never lifted. It was obvious he was really upset about the whole thing.

"I was thinking the same thing. People like Aiden don't just change. They stay the same until they're in their graves." I crossed my arms and frowned, secretly happy that someone was finally agreeing for a change rather than elbowing me in the stomach first and asking questions later.

"Would you guys stop trash talking him? He seems nice. And I trust Petra enough to know that she'd never fall for something like that." Radar chided, from where he was trying to carry too many pillows across the room at once.

Lukas and I exchanged glances. Radar was so sweet and naive, it was hard to believe he had managed to survive everything he had done with us.

"Perhaps being away from home for so long has clouded her judgment." Lukas suggested, rubbing his neck with a troubled expression.

At that moment Radar tripped over his own feet and toppled to the floor in a pile of pillows and limbs with a tiny, winded "Oof!" Lukas and I chuckled quietly in amusement before I got up, grabbed Radar's thin, bony arm and hauled him to his feet.

"Thanks, Jess..." Radar dusted himself off with the most indignant look I had ever seen in my life.

"Don't mention it." I shrugged and went back to my little nest.

We kept discussing our newest adventure for a few minutes longer before one by one, we all couldn't help ourselves and fell asleep in various corners of the room on our own individual pillow-nests.

I'm not sure what it is that woke me, but as my slumber tore away like wet paper I became vaguely aware of the soft _scritch-scratch_ of pen on paper. I slowly cracked one eye open, hoping nobody would notice I was awake.

Petra was sitting at the large wooden desk with a lit torch sitting atop it, casting a soft, warm orange glow over her features. She was quietly working on one of the numerous half-finished maps I had seen scattered all over the desk with a white-feathered quill in hand. Occasionally her smooth, fluid writing would pause as she dipped the tip of her quill in a little inkwell sitting beside her.

Suddenly there was a rustle of leather and in walked Aiden, his footsteps so soft they were inaudible. I tensed up, than quickly realised my mistake and forced myself to relax. A sleeping person wouldn't be tensed for a fight.

He crept up behind Petra, and I was about to leap to my feet and scream at him to get away because it seriously looked like he was about to attack her, but it shocked me senseless when he walked right up to the back of her chair and put his arms around her, crossing them over her chest and planting a tender kiss on the back of her neck.

I had expected her to whirl around and sock him in the face but instead she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest and reaching behind her to turn her fingers through his soft brown hair.

"Wow. Did you see the way she looked at me?" Aiden asked, softly so he didn't wake us. "She still hates me. Looks like she might never forgive me." I immediately knew he was talking about me and had to inwardly wrestle with myself so I didn't tense up again.

"She'll come around eventually.. I hope. But she doesn't know you like I do. She hasn't had time to see how much you've changed in the past few years." Petra replied, evenly. "That's why I love you. You're so much sweeter and caring that you were before. That and the fact you proved that you genuinely regret your poor decisions really meant something to me." She twisted in her seat to kiss his cheek, pearl-pink lips brushing against his cheek. I wanted to vomit.

"Weren't you telling me how she always tries to see the good in people?" Aiden perked up a little, much to my distaste. In my opinion the worse he felt the better. "D'ya think that'll help any?"

"I do. Like I said, she'll come around." Petra smiled and caressed his head. I couldn't help bit feel like she had betrayed me somehow. Not in a romantic way, because I was straight, but it made my heart ache that she was in love with the reckless, stupid, tyrannical idiot who made my life a living hell for so long. And I hated Aiden. Whatever could he have done to get Petra to even _consider_ letting him anywhere near her?

The brief thought crossed my mind that he had brainwashed her but I quickly discarded it. Brainwashed people didn't sound or look perfectly sane like Petra did.

So what had he done?

All I knew was I had to tell Lukas first thing in the morning. We needed to somehow get Petra away from Aiden and keep her away. I didn't want her getting hurt. I had lost her once and I sure as hell wasn't going to lose her again.

**Wow okay so Jessie's a possessive friend now. Why I'm making her borderline crazy is because I imagine all the trauma she went through in her years as a hero starting with the witherstorm left her with some mental and emotional scars. That's why she's so possessive in my stories. THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE IN LUKAS'S POV BECAUSE @Lilting Lilthum (sorry if I spelled that wrong lol) said they'd love it if I did switching POVs. **

**Thank you for reading, please leave a review and remember to follow this story for updates if you haven't already, seeing as I update this very frequently. No more than three days goes by before another chapter is available, so if you'd like to receive updates than remember to pop down and follow the story. Thank you for all the support, it means a lot to me. Love y'all, I'll hopefully see you next chapter!!!**

**-Itz Admin Ash**


	6. Explosion

**This chapter starts in Lukas's POV. Welcome back, hope you like this chapter (it gets pretty spicy (_) **

_"You're my waking thought, my sweet dream, and everything in between."_

_-Perry_

Petra and I had been friends ever since we were little. No matter what happened, no matter what struggle or triumph I was going through, she would always be right there beside me to either help me through it or celebrate with me. She was like my shadow. No matter where I went, she'd be there too. We stuck together as we both grew and matured and our lives gradually changed.

Anyone who ever knew us would call us inseparable, others called us insufferable. But we still clung to each other like only the best of friends would.

But once we were out of high school, I had begun to notice just how beautiful Petra was. It was like my eyes had been opened for the first time, and now my whole perspective was like looking through a narrow keyhole. One one side I saw Petra as my goofy, lovable best friend. On the other I saw Petra as the beautiful, strong young woman I had slowly been falling for this entire time.

I always told myself it was just a stupid crush and it would blow over like the wind blows away fallen leaves, but it never did, and trying to ignore my new feelings only made them stronger.

In fact, if it weren't for Petra, I never would've gone with Jessie to defeat the witherstorm and become one of six new members of the Order of the Stone.

People often think to this day that Jessie and I should be a couple because we apparently fit together so perfectly, but even though I can admit Jessie is a very pretty young woman with such a sweet, adorable personality, I've never thought of her as more than just a really close friend.

I guess all this history leads me to the present day. I was in the large, homely cave that Petra now called her home, listening to Jessie describe everything she had seen the night before while me and Radar were fast asleep.

"...and than she kissed him, Lukas! I swear she did. I couldn't believe it at first but I think this is really happening." Jessie finally finished explaining, the last echoes of her high-pitched voice echoing off the ragged black cave walls ominously.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Surely Petra wouldn't have fallen for Aiden, not everything he had put her and the rest of us through in Sky City. She also knew he was a nasty bully who thought of nothing other than himself on a daily basis and didn't give a damn about anyone else's feelings. He just liked walking all over people. Sure, Aiden and I used to be friends and I was willing to befriend him again since he was a lot nicer now, but I was starting to change my mind.

_He stole her from me._

I quickly shook that thought from my head as soon as it appeared, but deep down I knew that was how I truly felt. If Petra loved someone else... How could she ever love me?

_Why do I still want her more than anything else in the world? What's wrong with me?_

"What exactly do you suggest we do?" I asked, trying to conceal my heavy, dark thoughts, keeping my facial expression and voice completely calm and neutral like I had taught myself to do.

"We have to somehow keep Petra away from him before he hurts her. I know him, and people like him don't just change. I know he's still a selfish, arrogant, reckless jerk." Jessie replied, her voice full of bitter resentment and distrust. "How could Petra be stupid enough to fall for this?"

"I don't know... And that's what worries me." I sighed, thoughtfully. How was I supposed to handle this? A small voice in the back of my mind started whispering, _She was supposed to be MINE, not his. _"Should we try to talk some sense into her? Or will that not work?"

"She's stubborn as a mule. There's no changing her mind once it's made up, so I wouldn't bother trying to change it verbally." Jessie looked just as exasperated and dismayed as I felt. It was nice knowing I wasn't alone.

Radar gave me an uncomfortable, distressed grimace. "What's on your mind, kid? Something bothering you?" I asked, not unkindly.

"I-I just think we should maybe leave them alone... If Petra's happy with Aiden than we should just let them have each other." He replied, shuffling his feet and looking down at the ground nervously. "After all, who are we to just barge into her life and try to take her away from the person she obviously loves? I cam understand why Jessie's so upset about it, but it's just wrong for us to ruin her happiness."

"I'm sorry, buddy, but you don't really understand how dangerous Aiden can be. If it weren't for what a terrible person he is, I would've let it be." Jessie explained, gently, with a motherly tone of voice.

"He doesn't seem dangerous to me!" Radar protested, and I thought I saw tears spring to his lively dark eyes.

"No he doesn't... But what I've seen him do tells me otherwise." Jessie quickly turned away so the full force of her angry, unforgiving glare was directed at the floor and not at him.

"Fine, do whatever you want. But when Petra hates the both of you, I'll make sure to tell her I had no part in this. I'm not gonna take any blame for your selfishness and stupidity." Radar gave both me and Jessie the most defiant, angry look I had ever seen in my life before storming out with a huff.

"Oh, don't listen to him, he's just being moody." Jessie said, making a dismissive gesture.

But Radar had been making a lot of sense, and it had gotten me thinking. Maybe I was being selfish, trying to ruin something for Petra just so I could have her for myself. But than I shook my head to clear it and drew myself up to my full height. I told myself I was doing this for her own safety.

But the fact I had ignored Radar's very true statement meant he was right, and I'd only succeed in driving her further away from me than ever.

**Petra POV**

_"They say 'follow your heart', but if your heart's in a million pieces, which piece do you follow?"_

_-Unknown_

It had been two days since my old friends had come visiting. To be honest, I was really happy to see them again. They both had changed so much. Lukas was more outgoing and bold, Jessie was a lot quieter but still just as sweet as I remember.

I decided to spend some time with my old best friend, and offered to take Jessie on a hunting trio through the woods. It wouldn't take long, we'd just walk around the woods until sundown and hopefully catch some wild cows or something. I was really looking forward to spending some exclusive time with her, just like we used to do all the time.

But... At the same time, I was also getting a really dark vibe from her. Something seemed really off with her, and I was starting to get concerned- and scared.

Fortunately, Jessie showed all the excitement in the world when I asked her if she wanted to go out in the woods with me for a little bit.

It started off relatively uneventful. We followed an old game trail through the tall oak and birch trees, their emerald mottled leaves casting splotchy, dancing patterns of light on the grassy, mossy forest floor. It was such a beautiful day. I was just happy to be alive in that moment that I almost forgot entirely that Jessie was following me around in silence.

"Hey Petra?" She finally ventured to ask, breaking the heavy veil of silence that had fallen over us and bringing me right back to reality.

"What's up? Having fun yet?" I glanced over my shoulder at her with a smile, allowing my happiness to shine through.

I immediately noticed her oddly unpleasant facial expression and my smile faded.

"About you and Aiden... I saw him kissing you earlier and was wondering if you wanna explain that to me a little bit..?" Jessie raised one jet black eyebrow at me, almost accusingly.

"There's nothing to explain. You saw exactly what you thought you saw and it means exactly what you think it does." I shrugged, trying to play it off carelessly to avoid any confrontations.

"You should've told me that you and him were together, and that he's been living with you for so long." She gave me a hurt look, but I couldn't help feeling a little offended by that.

"I knew you'd react the way you did to his presence. That's why I stopped writing to you. I couldn't bear the thought of being judged by my best friend because of the man I love. Shouldn't you trust me or something?" I retorted, trying to keep my shaky voice calm and level.

"Honestly, you still should've told me. I would've been able to intervene and save you before it got this far." She shot back, turning up her chin at me.

"WHY do you still think he's dangerous?! I would've run him through with my sword a long time ago if I ever thought he threatened my safety in any way, shape or form! Trust me, Jessie, I know what I'm doing!" I snapped, unable to take it any longer. All my pent-up frustration with her came tumbling out before I could stop it. "What is WRONG with you? I thought friends were supposed to be happy for each other and support each other no matter what, but all you wanna do is get in the way and ruin everything for me!"

"Aiden's such a terrible person, how can you just forgive him for everything he did to us? He's pretty much the epitome of evil!" Jessie's voice had raised so now she was basically yelling every word she said.

That really got to me. I had been facing away from her, continuing to march through the woods, but as soon as she said that I stopped dead in my tracks and whirled around to glare at her fiercely, eyes flashing.

"You wanna know why I still see the good in him, Jessie? You wanna know why I'm so ready to forgive him despite everything that's happened?" I seethed, my voice dangerously low. "His mother died when he was fifteen, okay?! He started bullying you guys because he was hurting so badly that he ended up taking it out on other people. He may have fallen down the wrong path and done some really terrible things, but he was GRIEVING, Jessie! You can't expect anyone to come out a perfect angel after their loving, caring, sweet mother who's always been there for them suddenly falls ill and dies!"

Jessie's eyes widened and she took a step back, startled by my sudden outburst. Understanding dawned in her green eyes the color of the forest canopy above us, but at that moment I was too upset to care.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't know..." Jessie apologized, her harsh voice softening gradually.

"Whatever. You're too blind to have even thought about what Aiden might've gone through to make him the way he was. The only person you care about is yourself." I pivoted sharply on my heels and stormed off, walking as fast as I could, desperate to escape this selfish stranger I used to think was my best friend.

"Petra, wait! Come back!" Jessie started running after me.

"Leave me alone." I snarled.

"No, stop! CREEPER!" Jessie's voice was shrill with panic.

Suddenly I heard a familiar _HISSSSSSS _and jumped back, narrowly dodging the charging creeper which ran toward me on four stubby, wobbly little mottled green and brown legs. The explosion came a split second later.

A massive red fireball erupted from where the creeper had been standing a second ago, and I let out a yelp of alarm as the heat from it tore through me like a hot knife through butter. The shockwave from the initial blast knocked me to the ground. I landed hard on my back, my mind going blank from shock. That's when a massive tree that had been uprooted from the sheer force of the explosion fell on top of me. I didn't have time to get out of the way, so it hit me hard.

A shriek was torn from my lips as I felt the full weight of the downed tree trunk slam into my torso, crushing and cracking bones and tearing open my skin. All I felt was white-hot pain ripping through my entire body like sharp bolts of lightning. My mind was numb, it hurt to think.

The last thing I heard before everything went black was Jessie's voice screaming my name.

_To be continued..._

**Whoa, that escalated quickly. This chapter was hard to write because Petra is my child and the fact that something bad happened to her broke my heart :'(**

**You'll see what happens in the next chapter. I won't give it away but it's very sad. _Ooh cliffhangers ooooooh-!_**

**Whelp, see you guys in the next Chapter! Love y'all and thank you so very much for reading!**

**-**_Itz Admin Ash_


	7. Angel

**THIS CHAPTER IS REALLY INTENSE AND SAD. BE READY FOR A LOT OF EMOTION AND A LOT OF TEARS. **

_(no seriously, I actually cried while writing the last few sentences and I'm pretty good at keeping myself from crying usually but this just got really emotional. Being an author hurts sometimes (_ _))_

**Jessie POV**

_"It was never my intention to hurt you or cause you pain. Destiny conspired to drive this wedge between us and all I want is for this burden to be lifted. I'm sorry."_

_-Unknown_

Explosion. Scream. Petra.

I had tried to warn her of the impending danger; I had seen the creeper emerge from the trees and start charging right at her like a mottled woodland demon. I had started running toward her the moment I realized what was about to happen, yelling at her to get out of the way, but she heard my warnings a little too late and the creeper exploded in her face.

Time seemed to slow down so I was forced to watch in horror as the ground erupted in a massive fireball with a deafening KABOOM, and the smoke and debris raining down around me concealed everything from view. I couldn't see Petra anymore, she had disappeared.

When the smoke cleared, all I saw was a smoking crater in the ground where the creeper used to be, and Petra trapped under a fallen tree. It must've toppled over during the explosion, and now it was crushing her. She was lying on her back, orange hair strewn out around her in a tangled mess. The heavy, thick tree trunk was lying across her stomach and legs, completely smothering her. Her eyes were closed and her face was deathly pale. Blood trickled from a cut on her cheek and from the corner of her mouth, contrasting with her pale skin.

...I felt my heart split wide open.

"PETRA!!!" Her name exploded out of me so violently that I didn't recognise my own voice anymore.

I ran to her, skidding on my knees beside her. She couldn't be dead. _She can't be! _

"Petra! Are you alright? Oh, please wake up!" I cried, vaguely aware of the tears streaming down my face as I lifted Petra's head from the forest floor, cradling it in my arms, being as gentle as possible. I was almost afraid to touch her lest I hurt her even worse. "W-Wake up... I need you..." I was sobbing now. She was so still, so broken...

"J-Jessie?" Petra suddenly stirred slightly and her eyes fluttered halfway open. Her voice was weak and full of pain, and her eyes were dull and lackluster.

"Thank every god in the universe! It's me, Petra. I'm here. I'm right here." I tried to sound calm so she didn't freak out, but my voice sounded so small and frightened, like that of a little girl.

"Get... Help..." Petra grasped my arm weakly with one hand, her fingers clutching desperately at my sleeve. "Y-You have to... Get... Help." she repeated, before suddenly coughing up blood. It slid down the side of her face before dripping off her jaw like a dark red river.

"I can't leave you here alone! I won't! No!" I shook my head, as a painful sob caused my shoulders to shake.

"I-I don't have... T-Time... Help..." Petra's voice was getting fainter by the second.

"I will, Petra, I promise." I sobbed, unable to stop the river of tears flowing down my cheeks. I got up and sprinted back through the woods, going back the way I had came. I had to get back to the cave and get Lukas and Aiden. They'd know what to do. They could save her. I couldn't, not alone, but they could.

**Aiden POV **

_"I'm feeling lost and I don't know where else to go now. I don't really have a place to call my home now. Everybody hating and I feel so cold now. Why do everybody make me feel alone now?"_

_-Nightmare, "Let Me Die"_

It was shortly after lunchtime when Jessie burst into the cave, sobbing hysterically and trembling all over. Lukas and I had been sitting together near the entrance, making and sharpening arrows, catching up on everything that had happened since we'd last seen each other when Jessie charged into our midst like a little torpedo.

"Whoa!" Startled, Lukas jumped to his feet in a hurry.

I immediately put the pieces together. Petra had taken Jessie out for a walk in the woods. Now Jessie was here, obviously traumatized out of her wits, and Petra was nowhere to be seen. Something had happened.

"Where's Petra? What happened?" I demanded, getting up and pulling a dagger from my belt, ready to face whatever danger that was the cause of Petra's disappearance.

"S-She... She's still out there... Creeper... Explosion... A t-tree fell... It crushed her..." Jessie gasped out, so hysterical from crying that she was almost unable to speak.

"A tree fell on top of Petra?? Where???" Lukas was almost as panicked as she was now, much to my dismay. Was the love of my life dead? And if not, could I save her before it was too late? The gravity of the situation suddenly hit me like a 20-pound weight. I might've lost everything.

Jessie was crying too hard to answer, she just weakly gestured for us to follow her and sprinted out of the cave into the woods. Lukas and I ran after her, almost blindly. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it throbbing like a giant wardrum in my ears. I was so scared. I could picture it now: my beautiful Petra lying lifelessly beneath a tree somewhere in the forest, her body broken and twisted beyond repair, her once-gorgeous eyes staring sightlessly up at the cloudy sky that she'd never see again...

"We'll find her, Aiden." Lukas said, reassuringly. His voice cut through my dark thoughts like a hot knife through butter.

"I know." I replied, bluntly. I knew we'd find her, I just didn't know if we'd find her alive. That's what scared me. "I just wish I could've told her how much I loved her one last time. I hate thinking about her all alone out there, crushed beneath a tree, in a lot of pain and probably scared."

"I know, I know. I'm worried too, but we'll get her out of there. She'll be alright, and so will you." Lukas said, calmly, but the wild look in his blue eyes betrayed his panic.

Finally Jessie stopped. She had been leading us on for about half an hour, but than she just stopped dead in her tracks and wordlessly pointed ahead. I knew we'd arrived at our destination, and took a deep breath before stepping around her to see what lay in store for me.

There was a huge tree lying across the forest floor, and it only took me a moment to realize Petra was trapped beneath it. There was blood everywhere. My mind went blank.

Next thing I knew, I was beside her, trying to heave the massive tree off of her. It was so heavy, and it wouldn't budge. Lukas ran to the other side and started helping, hollering at Jessie to pull Petra out from under it as soon as we lifted it clear. It took a moment of team effort, but than we managed to lift the tree just enough to get it off the prone figure on the ground.

With a grunt of exertion, Jessie hooked her hands under Petra's arms and dragged her unconscious body clear from the tree. As soon as we knew she was out of harm's way, we let the tree fall to the ground, scattered displaced leaves in little green flurries.

I quickly scooped Petra up, carrying her bridal style and walking back toward the cave as fast as I could. She hung limply in my arms, surprisingly lightweight, blood dripping off her pale fingers like dark red tear-shaped crystals. I would've ran all the way back to the cave, but I didn't want to jostle the poor, broken creature in my arms. She was probably in so much pain. My heart ached.

It felt like an eternity before we finally reached the cave. I rushed inside and quickly laid Petra down on the nearest bed, assessing her condition as quickly as possible. She was still unconscious and barely breathing; I pressed two fingers to her throat and felt around before I found her pulse. It was light and fluttery but it was still there. Her cloak and the shirt beneath were a bloody, mangled mess from the sharp branches slicing right through them and the skin beneath. Her torn shorts revealed the long, deep gash along her left thigh, running to just above her knee. I choked back tears as I realized she might never walk again.

"Is there anything we can do for her?" Lukas asked, using a little woolen cloth to wipe the blood from Petra's mouth.

She flinched at the touch, letting out a weak whimper of pain. I took her hand and squeezed it just so she knew I was there before soaking some more cloths in cold water from a cauldron and using one to gently dab at the cut on her cheek, cleaning away all the blood and dirt. She shivered violently, and Lukas started stroking her tangled, messy hair reassuringly.

"I don't know... She looks pretty bad, Lukas. I-I don't think she's gonna make it through the night at this rate." I shook my head, feeling a hot tear slide down my face from my right eye. Startled, I wiped it away before the other man could notice. I had to keep myself together for Petra's sake.

"Is there anything we can do? Anything at all?" Lukas gave me a heart-wrenchingly desperate look.

"I-I can clean her wounds and give her some healing potions but our medical supplies are more than a little limited. Beacontown is three days away so taking her to a healer isn't an option. Her best shot is what we have here, and it isn't enough." I explained, trying to sound less sorrowful than I felt.

Jessie was standing off at a distance, watching with silent tears streaming down her sun-tanned face. Neither of us noticed her, but she didn't move, silently watching us take care of Petra, whom was showing signs of waking up. Maybe if I were paying attention to Jessie I would've heard the quietly whispered words: "_I hate myself... This is my fault._"

Petra's injuries were worse than I had initially thought. She had several cuts and bruises slashed violently across her middle, but I was more worried about the deep puncture wounds caused by sharp branches stabbing straight into her with the speed and force of gravity and the weight of the tree behind it. Wounds like that to the abdomen were usually fatal.

I knew she was going to die but I couldn't accept it.

Lukas helped me clean and bandage the numerous injuries she had before I tucked a blanket around her shoulders and held her limp, broken body in my lap, cradling her and rocking back and forth softly. Lukas had gone to get some sleep, and Jessie was off grieving somewhere, so I was alone with Mt beautiful, shattered angel.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Petra, but... I j-just wanted to let you know that I-I love you so much. You m-mean the world to me." I murmured. Tears swam in my eyes and eventually started falling down my cheeks, but I didn't try to stop them. I let myself cry for her, and for the horrible, dark life I would live without her.

"A-Aiden?" A weak, tiny voice laced with pain suddenly asked.

Startled, I glanced down and realized Petra was awake. Her eyes had opened halfway, revealing her familiar stormy gray irises beneath her long, dark lashes. I slid one hand behind her head, lifting it a bit so I could plant a soft, tender kiss on her forehead, which was alarmingly cold to the touch. "I love you." I repeated.

"I-I... L-L...ove... Y-You..." Petra managed to stammer out. Her face suddenly contorted into a grimace of pain and she let out a soft moan of agony, her frail voice sounding as broken as she was.

"You're gonna be alright, Petra. It's gonna be okay..." I was sobbing now, feeling my heart gradually tearing apart. "I'll make sure you get through this... I can't l-live without you... Y-You're all I have, you're the only person who's ever loved me and I won't lose you. I'll never lose you."

Petra managed to summon enough strength to weakly grasp my hand, twining her fingers with mine. I raised her hand up to my face, lips brushing across her fingers. Her lips twitched upward in something of a weak smile. Some part of me wished I could believe she'd make it through this, but in reality, I knew that by dawn the world would be the most bleak, miserable place because she was no longer part of it. I rested my head on hers, holding her as close as possible, savoring the feeling of knowing she was alive for now.

"If I have you, I have everything." I whispered into her hair. "But without you, I have nothing..."

Radar came over at some point and told me I should get some sleep, but I politely declined for one reason and one reason only.

When Petra breathed her last, I wanted it to be breathed in the safety of my arms, just so I'd know exactly when my precious, sweet little angel had flown back to heaven.

_To be continued..._

**_Wish I had something to say, but I'm speechless. I started crying whilst writing the last line, it really hit me hard. I'll see you guys next chapter, love y'all and thank you for reading and possibly crying with me..._**

_-Itz Admin Ash_


	8. Travel

**Why is writing this story so painful?!?!?! *yeets self into trash can***

**Jessie POV**

_"I've been on the low, I've been taking my time. I feel like I'm outta my mind. It feel like my life ain't mine. I don't wanna be alive, I don't wanna be alive. I just wanna die today. I just wanna die! And let me tell you why..."_

_-Logic, "1-800-273-8255"_

I couldn't sleep at all that night because I couldn't stop replaying the argument Petra and I had just before the explosion. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right.

I may have convinced myself I was protecting her from a dangerous human being, but in reality I was just selfish and blind. It made total sense that the loss of his mother made Aiden so bitter and mean. But of course, I was so worked up about everything that I wasn't even willing to consider it. The thought had never even crossed my mind.

_Everybody has a story. Nobody's evil without reason. When will I learn?_

And now Petra was lying out there in Aiden's arms, her life balanced on a knife's edge. I knew it was my fault. If I hadn't been so selfish, she wouldn't have stormed off like she did, too upset to notice the creeper bearing down on her before it was too late. I vaguely remembered hearing her scream in pain during the explosion.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered to the dark, chilly evening air around me. "I know I was wrong, and look where my mistakes got you."

The night dragged on, and by the time the little clock on the far wall where Lukas had buried himself beneath a mountain of woolen blankets; sleeping quietly-struck midnight, I was absolutely restless. I had tried to mentally prepare myself for the worst, because I couldn't shake the feeling that Petra was fading away, but I knew deep down that absolutely nothing could prepare me for the trauma and anguish of losing her.

By the time the sun started rising, I refused to wait any longer and got up, rushing to the front room of the cave where my friend was dying.

To my surprise, I found her nestled safely in Aiden's arms with her eyes closed and a little smile on her face, which told me she was only sleeping. Aiden was cradling her and rocking back and forth softly, smiling down at her with such a tender, loving gaze. Even as I watched, he leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

He glanced up at the sound of my footsteps and I swear his smile got brighter. "I can't believe it... But her wounds are healing. She's doing so much better."

"I take it you didn't sleep at all?" I grinned, inwardly screaming with joy and relief beneath my calm exterior at his news.

"Not a single wink, but for once that's a good thing. I wanted to be here with her through every waking moment. That way, if last night was to be her last, she'd go quietly in my arms, knowing she was safe and loved." Aiden explained, gazing down on Petra's still, peaceful face.

She stirred and shifted slightly as if on cue, but didn't wake up. Good, I thought. She needed to rest if she was ever gonna recover.

Feeling much lighter and happier than I had for the last twelve hours, I went off to find bureakfast, only to run into Radar. He was digging around in a chest, and as I opened my mouth to greet him, he stood up with a bunch of clean wool cloths in his little hands, obviously taking them back to Aiden.

"Hey! Have you heard the good news?" I called out, cheerfully.

Radar froze to give me a blank look. "Yes." He replied, bluntly, before pushing past me without so much as a smile or backward glance.

"Oh. Okay. What's wrong?" I asked, my heart sinking a little.

"I told you that what you were doing was selfish. It was just a bad idea to begin with and look where we are now. Seems you prefer to learn things the hard way." He explained, signing, before continuing on down the hall to give Aiden the cloths, giving me no time to respond.

I turned around to go after him but he was already gone. I shrugged it off. The first person I had to apologize to was Petra anyways, once she came around.

"Jessie!" Radar's adorably high-pitched voice suddenly called out from the main room. "She's awake, finally!"

**Petra POV **

_"You caused me so much pain and I want to hate you so bad but I can't forget about all the times you made me feel as though I were made of sunshine."_

_-Unknown_

When I finally woke up, the first thing I saw was Aiden's handsomely adorable face looming over me with the sweetest smile I loved so much. The first thing I felt was the dull, throbbing, stinging ache that tore through my torso from all the bruises, gashes and puncture wounds I had suffered. It hurt pretty badly, but it was bearable. The first thing I heard was Jessie's voice crying out, "Petra's awake? Really?!" and her frenzied footsteps running in my direction.

"Hi. It's good to see you." Aiden said, softly. He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand, and I was vaguely aware of the presence of a cloth pressing against my opposite cheek where there was a bloody laceration from a falling twig that had struck me across the face.

"H-Hey." I managed something of a weak smile, and made a huge effort to sit up even though I had absolutely no energy to spare.

He gently pushed me back down with his warm hand pressing on my collarbone, stopping me from moving too much before I hurt myself even worse. "No, Petra. I'm sorry but you need to rest some more before you try to sit up on your own." He scolded, not unkindly.

I signed and allowed my head to drop back into his lap, feeling too drained to even hold my own head up anymore. Just than, Jessie burst into the room in a whirlwind of jet black hair and blazing green eyes that were almost wild with excitement.

"Petra! I can't believe it!" She exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear in that familiar, sweet way she had.

"O-Oh. Hey, J-Jessie." I croaked out, trying to hide the sudden rush of negative emotions and bitter memories welling up inside of me.

The last time I had seen her in good health, she was being more than just a little selfish and careless and dare I say cruel. I knew she was my best friend and she always would be but some part of me couldn't just forget everything she had done so easily.

"Oh my gosh. It's so good to see you awake and talking. It's a miracle. I didn't think you'd make it!" Jessie rushed over to my side and clasped my hand to her chest, practically bouncing with happiness. Her enthusiasm was amusing, but it did nothing to staunch the flow of negativity towards her that I was experiencing.

Aiden seemed to notice; perhaps it was the way I grimaced slightly when she took my hand or the fact that I tensed up a little upon seeing her, but he quickly took action. "Jessie, would you mind getting Lukas? I know he wants to see her too. He was sick with nerves last night."

"Sure!" Jessie skipped off to the cartography room without missing a beat.

"What's bothering you?" Aiden asked, his face contorting into a concerned frown. "I know that look, Petra. What's wrong?"

And so I told him why I had been careless enough to walk right into a creeper. I told him everything, including the fact that Jessie thought he was somehow a threat to my safety and how she refused to forgive him for what he did. It all came tumbling out in a mess of frustration and emotional pain. By the time I finished, I realized I was sobbing, my shoulders shaking.

Aiden was cuddling me close, holding my head to his chest, murmuring soft reassurances into my hair. There was something about his voice and his presence that instantly soothed the physical and mental agony I was going through and made me feel safe and warm and loved.

"Is she okay?" Jessie's voice suddenly asked. I quickly covered my face with one hand, trying to hide my tears. I didn't want her to see me so weak and broken.

"Yeah. She'll be okay." Aiden replied, stroking my hair with one hand. The warmth of his touch made me feel as though I were glowing.

Lukas suddenly appeared at my side, getting down on his knees beside the bed and clasping my hand between both of his. The worry etched into his face made my heart ache. "Hey, Petch. How're you feeling? Any better?"

"Yes, lots." I replied, offering him a weak smile.

He didn't seem convinced, but he left it be. He just stayed there, clinging to my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. I could tell something was on his mind but he stayed quiet. I knew he'd say whatever he needed to say whenever he was ready. That was one of my favorite things about Lukas. He always thought things through before he spoke.

"Will you guys come back to Beacontown with us? Now that we know Petra should be okay we should really take her to see a healer just to make sure she recovers properly." Jessie asked, mainly addressing Aiden.

"I dunno. What do you think, angel?" Aiden looked down at me, hazel eyes sparkling.

I was already shaking my head. "That's the last thing I want. My place is here, not back in some crowded city getting poked and prodded by a healer." I said, a little sharper than I meant to.

"But Petra. None of us are experienced enough in the medical field to help you. What if you never walk again all because you wouldn't go with us to Beacontown?" Lukas reasoned, keeping his voice soft and gentle so he didn't escalate the situation. "Or worse, what if you get a really bad infection and we end up losing you? The forest isn't exactly a clean, bacteria-free place, and untreated infections can be deadly."

"He's making a lot of sense right now, Petra." Aiden agreed, hugging me tightly. "I'm not trying to gang up on you or anything but I want to make sure you'll be okay."

"I hate that place. I don't wanna go." I muttered, burying my face in his warm chest.

"Cmon, Petch, stop being like that..." Lukas started to say, but Aiden stopped him short with an upraised hand.

"Give her some space. She's been through a lot, so she isn't the most agreeable person right now. She just needs a little more time to wrap her head around everything and she'll be okay." He said, not unkindly.

Lukas grimaced but nodded his head in agreement, stepping back to join Jessie and Radar, whom were leaving and talking about food.

I was slightly disappointed that Jessie didn't care enough to apologize for what she did.

**Jessie POV **

I was going to apologize to Petra, but it really didn't seem like the right time and I was too nervous about doing it in front of other people. It made me feel really self-conscious. Admitting you're wrong is hard enough but doing it in front of everyone else is like mission impossible: ultimate extreme times infinity plus one!

I just wished that I could fall asleep and when I woke up the world would be perfect. I wished I lived in a world where nobody got mad at me, and nobody wanted to leave me... And I never gave them reasons to hate me.

"So... What do you think about all this?" Lukas suddenly asked, and I jolted out of my thoughts, realizing for the first time that he was still walking beside me through the forest.

We had decided to go for a walk, to get away from everybody for awhile.

"I dunno. But I think I'm the reason why Petra doesn't wanna go back to Beacontown, even if staying costs her life." I admit, deciding that dodging the question would get me absolutely nowhere. "I kinda messed up back there in the woods... I kept telling her I thought Aiden was dangerous and that she should just leave him, but she got really upset and stormed off. She was so mad that she didn't notice the creeper charging at her, and..." I trailed off and closed my eyes, briefly haunted by a flashback of the terrible explosion and Petra's shriek of agony lingering on the smoke-filled air as debris rained down around me.

"Hey. I had a hand in this too. We were both being stupid." Lukas said, reassuringly. My eyes flew open and I looked at him. He had a guilty smile on his face that instantly quieted the raging doubts in my head. "Don't pin it all on yourself, ok?"

"Okay." I agreed, with some confidence.

"Thatta girl. Now, we should probably get back. After all, we have a certain redheaded someone to apologize to," said Lukas, as he turned around and started walking back in the direction we came.

It was definitely difficult trying to convince Petra to go back with us to Beacontown. She was unbelievably stubborn, refusing to relent even for a single second, but Aiden eventually persuaded her to go, just in case she wasn't really okay. Finally she begrudgingly agreed, but nearly changed her mind again when Aiden announced that he wouldn't be going because someone had to stay behind and watch the cave.

"I'm sorry, Petra, I wish I could go with you. But you and I both know that somebody's gotta be here to tale care of everything while you're gone. Lukas is gonna take good care of you, I promise." Aiden reassured, planting a tender kiss on her forehead.

I couldn't help but notice how he didn't say "Lukas _and Jessie_ will take care of you".

"B-But..." Petra tried to protest, but she was out of arguments and buried her face in her hands with an exasperated sigh.

He took her into his arms like I had seen him do so many times over the past few days and kept speaking to her in a calm, soothing voice with such a gentle, loving tone I knew would get through to her instantly.

She sniffed pitifully and nodded her head in understand to whatever he had said and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. He returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her waist and back, holding her close. It filled me with a strange sadness, seeing how much they loved each other. I felt like something bad was gonna happen. For a moment I could fancy that this was their last goodbye. It felt way too surreal and creepy, especially when Petra murmured, "I love you more than anything or anyone else in the world. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't, angel. I won't." Aiden promised, kissing her ear in a sort of silent agreement.

And so we began the long trip to Beacontown. Petra rode with Lukas, sitting in front of him, since she didn't have a horse of her own. She looked absolutely miserable, I noticed, with her slumped shoulders and downcast expression. Her stormy gray eyes were clouded over with some sort of unreadable emotion. Sorrow? Regret? Anger? All of the above?

"Don't worry, Petch. We'll be back before you know it." Lukas reassured, having sensed her dark mood.

The forest seemed so much drearier and gloomy after everything that had happened within its boundaries, beneath its ancient trees older than time itself. The dark green leaves rustled faintly overhead, driven by the chilly breeze snaking through the branches and between the thick trunks, grabbing at me with icy fingers.

Petra shivered violently, her blank expression twisting into a pained grimace. The cold probably wasn't helping the pain she was already going through from her healing wounds, which constantly troubled her day in and day out.

"Are you alright? Do we need to take a break and let you lie down for a little bit?" Lukas asked, tightening his grip around her waist.

"I'm f-fine." Petra replied, through gritted, chattering teeth. Her face looked paler than usual, and she clutched at her stomach where all her injuries were concealed beneath fabric and bandages.

"You don't look so fine to me. Maybe we should stop. There's no rush." I jumped in.

"If I say I'm fine t-than I'm f-fine!" Petra snapped.

"Oh. Okay. I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean anything by it." I quickly apologized, seeing as she was in no mood for arguing. "I'm just worried about you. These aren't exactly ideal traveling conditions." I gestured to the air around us and the chilly breeze became a freezing wind as if on cue.

It whipped at any exposed skin brutally, tearing into warm flesh with frigid talons, howling like a starved wolf attacking innocent prey.

Petra suddenly let out a sharp cry of pain and doubled over, clutching her abdomen, hyperventilating from the agony. Lukas quickly grabbed her before she fell from the saddle and shook his head sadly. "We need to stop. Come on, let's get you down from here." He said, gently.

He dismounted from the horse first before reaching up and pulling her down from the saddle into his arms, carrying her bridal-style. She clutched at his jacket feebly, whimpering softly. I hated seeing her like that, reduced to a crying, frightened little girl by these unpredictable fits of excruciating pain that seemed to strike her at random.

I slid down from my horse, Snowball, and pulled a thick woolen blanket from my leather saddlebag for Petra to use. I found a comfortable, dry, mossy patch beneath a particularly tall tree and laid the huge blanket across it so Lukas could set her down on top of it and fold it in half so it covered her trembling body.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way." Lukas muttered, as he stroked Petra's cheek with the back of his gloved hand. "Just look at her, she's so weak and frail..."

She had curled herself into a little ball, lying on her side with her knees drawn up to her chest, eyes jammed shut as she battled wave after wave of agony tearing through her broken body. It was horrible. I wished I could do something to help, to ease her pain, but I was completely helpless and useless to her.

"Deep breaths, Petch. Nice and slow. It's gonna be okay. It'll be over soon, I promise. Than you can get some sleep." Lukas said, his voice soft and reassuring.

Each time she was hit by one of these random fits of pain, Petra would be left absolutely exhausted, so much so that she could barely even hold her own head up. All we could do was wait for it to end and than let her sleep for an hour or two. I wished there was something more we could do.

"A-Aiden..." Petra croaked out, her voice laced with pain.

"You'll get to see him again soon. Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine. He can take good care of himself, I'm sure." Lukas smiled a little, even though I sensed the twinge of hurt in his voice.

And so we waited there with her, ever patiently, until the attack seemed to be ending and she was calming down. Her labored breathing slowed and she finally seemed to be relaxing a little bit. Lukas was still right there at her side, clasping her hand in his own and occasionally murmuring to her just so she knew he was there. He always seemed to know how to take care of her.

"She does look rather beautiful when she's no longer troubled by as much pain..." Lukas said, halfway to himself.

"She does." I agreed, blankly.

The truth was, I already knew about his little crush on Petra, and I didn't mind at all, even though she was currently taken and unavailable. I wanted him to be happy. Hell, I wanted both of them to be happy. Maybe someday they'd find that happiness within each other.

**Wow ok I managed to make it to 4k words. I'm impressed with myself lol. Pls drop a review, the feedback really helps. And I'm sorry for any unbearable typos in the previous chapters, I'm doing this on my phone and my autocorrect has a terrible habit of randomly correcting random words for no reason. I swear I know how to write. See you next time, love y'all!**

**-_itz Admin Ash_**


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